In 2015 the BRICS STI Framework Programme (BRICS STI FP) has been endorsed aiming to support excellent research on priority areas which can best be addressed by a multinational approach. The initiative should facilitate cooperation among the researchers and institutions in the consortia which consist of partners from at least three of the BRICS countries.

Since 2016 two coordinated calls for multilateral research projects have been successfully implemented under BRICS STI FP, generating considerable interest within BRICS research community, that resulted in nearly 800 applications submitted in response to the calls.

The 3rd BRICS Call under BRICS STI FP should provide even more opportunities for BRICS researchers, inviting to submit projects in 13 areas*, with 3 of them to be announced within the BRICS STI FP Call for the first time:

6)Biotechnology and biomedicine including human health and neuroscience;

7)Information technologies and high performance computing;

8)Ocean and polar science and technology;

9)Material science including nanotechnology;

10) Photonics;

11) Aeronautics;

12) Research infrastructures, including mega-science projects;

13) Science, Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Partnership.

The call details will be published on http://brics-sti.org website on 1 February 2019 with deadline for proposals submission via BRICS Application Management System set on 25 April 2019. The national call publications will be released on the websites of respecting national funding agencies, the dates for submission of national components (applications) may vary but are expected to match the 3rd BRICS Call application submission period**.

* The thematic areas that are supported by each BRICS countries may vary in the final announcement of the BRICS 3rd Call 2019.

** Please note that Ministry of Science and Technology of People’s Republic of China has already published domestic call announcement with national proposals submission deadline set for December 10, 2018.

BRICS research funding agencies participated in the discussion on 3rd BRICS Call: